Tuesday, May 08, 2007

Support for Yesha

Sir, - MJ Rosenberg accuses the Jews living in Hebron and other communities in Judea and Samaria of "living where their presence is a provocation" while lauding the Jews of Tel Aviv, who "would never choose to live as a minority" ("In praise of Tel Aviv," May 1).

When is the last time Rosenberg opened up a map of the Middle East? The Jews living in Metulla, Eilat and all points in between, including Yitzhar and Tel Aviv, are all living as a minority surrounded by over 20 Arab countries and millions of Muslims, Arabs and Persians who wish to annihilate the Jewish state and its inhabitants.

I'm not sure whom Rosenberg spoke with while he was in Israel, but if our leaders find the threats emanating from Iran "laughable," we are all in grave danger.

Rosenberg then adds, referring to Judea and Samaria, that "less than 5% of the Jewish population of Israel" has chosen to live "on a hostile frontier." I am sure that with all they have suffered, and are suffering, the residents of the North and those in the Western Negev would take offense at their communities not being labeled as being "on a hostile frontier."

Finally, Rosenberg leaves this important line out of his "Hatikva" quote: "To be a free nation, in our own country, the land of Zion and Jerusalem." Nothing against Tel Aviv - but the early Zionists had another city in mind when they expressed their yearnings.

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About Me

American born, my wife and I moved to Israel in 1970. We have lived at Shiloh together with our family since 1981. I was in the Betar youth movement in the US and UK. I have worked as a political aide to Members of Knesset and a Minister during 1981-1994, lectured at the Academy for National Studies 1977-1994, was director of Israel's Media Watch 1995-2000 and currently, I work at the Menachem Begin Heritage Center in Jerusalem. I was a guest media columnist on media affairs for The Jerusalem Post, op-ed contributor to various journals and for six years had a weekly media show on Arutz 7 radio. I serve as an unofficial spokesperson for the Jewish Communities in Judea & Samaria.